


Show Me the Beast

by themidnightpost



Category: Lamento -BEYOND THE VOID-
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, i just want for these two to be happy, i'm doing my dangdest even though i usually write angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-01-18
Packaged: 2019-03-06 17:00:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13415655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themidnightpost/pseuds/themidnightpost
Summary: "It may help, you know. The other Ribika may not fear you so much if they see you before them, in the flesh."Ignorance begets fear. Fear begets death. Death begets despair.What if, there was no fear anymore?





	Show Me the Beast

"I am home!"

"...you are back."

An undeterred grin broke across Shui's face as he slid inside. Pausing only to push his hood back and unbutton boots that were almost as long as his cascading mane of hair, the young poet padded further into the room. He made as if to clear away a spot at the large table commanding the center of the room, but hesitated. There were small mountains of books, bottles, and paraphernalia that Shui could only pretend to understand the use of, all piled on every spare bit of surface. He knew from his last sojourn into the misguided adventure that was cleaning up the magician's abode that touching any of these items was far from advisable, and therefore opted to maintain his hold on the small sack Shui had brought inside with him.

"When did you last eat?"

"Not late enough for your liking." Leaks still did not turn around, his back facing Shui as he held up a stone carved in an absurd amount of sigils to the lone shaft of light that filtered onto his smaller work table. Not forthcoming with further information--not that Shui expected him to be--Leaks lowered his gaze back to the parchment he was noting observations of this stone onto, neither inviting Shui in formally nor demanding his exit.

"That is all I needed to hear." Shui decided, striding in the direction of the small fire burning steadily in an alcove settled within a corner of the large room. A cauldron of sorts hung above it, making the musician wrinkle his nose in disappointment when he noticed the layer of grime and forgotten drops of who-even-knows-what lingering within the pot. The urge to attack Leaks' home with a rag grew in him with each visit.

"You just stay there, alright?" Shui requested, setting his sack on the floor next to him before searching for anything suitable to clean the cauldron with.

"Do you mean to give me orders within my own home?" Leaks still has not glanced in the poet's direction.

Shui graced him with an amused hum as his only answer, and the two fell into silence as they focused upon their respective work. 

 

It might have been minutes or hours before Leaks broke out of the self imposed spell that only true concentration could set him under, but given that it was not a voluntary break, no one could expect him to exhibit a particularly pleasant mood.

"...there had better be a very good explanation as to why you have decided to attempt suffocating us both."

"No, never! Fret not, all is well!"

"The amount of smoke your little creation is bellowing out begs to differ. _What_ , in fact, are you even doing!?" Leaks finally stood from his seat, pivoting in such a manner that his cloak spun out in a great circle before falling back down to rest as intended. His ears twitched in displeasure as his nose caught an even stronger current of smoke, eyes threatening to sting a little from the thicker concentration of smoke at this greater height.

"Cooking you a proper meal, of course."

"'Of course'? 'Of course'!!?" At this point Leaks had stridden towards where Shui was hunched over the cooking pot, both in what seemed to be an attempt to shield more smoke from emerging and from showing him its unfortunate contents, "Shui, your 'meal' is likely no more than charcoal now, cease this foolish attempt of yours before we both perish!"

"Open your windows and doors then, the smoke will filter out that way." A small sigh escaped Shui's lips as the irate magician swooped away to do exactly that, his usual serene smile pushing back against it as he observed Leaks' unwitting obedience, "I will salvage what I can."

As it turned out, not much of Shui's attempt at a dinner had succumbed to fire after all, lending just the slightest of boosts to his sense of accomplishment as he began a search for plates, humming quietly to himself all the while. Leaks, however, remained as sour as ever, begrudgingly clearing away some of his supplies from the large table in preparation for what he had already mentally ruled would probably be his last meal.

"You seem quite pleased with yourself, considering the circumstances."

"Mm? Perhaps." Shui did not offer any further explanation, bringing over what he could find to serve this meal with, gesturing for Leaks to sit down in the meanwhile. However, rather than do as instructed again, Leaks remained standing, gaze taking in the poet's movements and turning each of those over in his head. Whether or not Shui was aware of this was irrelevant, there was something different, more specific, that Leaks was looking for.

"...Leaks? Is something the matter?"

Ah, so he did notice. "That is my question for you. Your steps are lighter, you are not speaking quite as much, and..." His head tilted to the side a small amount almost unconsciously as Leaks crossed his arms.

"You have been humming much more, as if you want to sing."

Shui did not answer at first, opting to set places for himself and Leaks at the table, carefully doling out their portions of food. After a few moments of contemplative silence on his part (and subtle foot-tapping impatience on Leaks'), Shui handed a plate to the magician, his eyes holding a comfortable glow.

"They have made their decision, I am to succeed the Head Sanga."

Leaks made a low noise in reply, sitting only once he observed his self-invited guest do so. When it became clear that Leaks was waiting for Shui to eat first, the poet spared him a mischievous smile, "Are you worried that I would have poisoned this food along with burning it?"

"After the fiasco you brought upon me, it would not be my last suspicion." Nonetheless, Leaks ventured to take a bite of the--he was not quite sure what it was, but it was soft and a pale yellow and lovingly wrapped in a sleeve of leaves. Assuredly brushing past his own mental take on the appearance of his dinner (who assumes that anything is wrapped with any specific intent--affectionately or not--anyway!?), Leaks continued to eat in silence. As the minutes ticked by, he waited for Shui to elaborate on his piece of news, but for being the more sociable of the two, he seemed perfectly content to enjoy his own meal without his usual cascade of conversation. 

Leaks did not care for it. In fact, he was quite relieved for some peace.

"When will your succession take place?"

There is also nothing wrong with casual curiousity.

"Not for some time, the Head Sanga still has their responsibilities while I have much yet to learn." Shui deftly folded the leaves that previously encased his food before directing his attention back to his companion, "Would you come to see me during the ceremony?"

"Do you not have a wife? Will she not attend?"

Shui's ears shrank back just the slightest, as though attempting to hide this reaction from him. Leaks' brow furrowed, observing belatedly the unintended bite in his words, but nonetheless unwilling to rescind it.

"...she is not you. No one could stand in for you."

Leaks merely grunted in reply, unsure of why he would say this and not willing to entertain this topic further. Shui, however, seemed to have different plans, "May you at least consider it?"

"I have no reason to engender myself to society, and every reason to shun it entirely."

"It may help, you know. The other Ribika may not fear you so much if they see you before them, in the flesh." Something trickled into Shui's gaze, and the other man could not decide whether he approved of whatever it was or not, "For how many years have you been hiding in this forest?"

Leaks decidedly did _not_ approve.

"Make me this request a single time more, and you will not find my abode again."

Shui's face loosened into a soft series of chuckles, "Of course, my apologies." The poet turned away to take a swig from one of the strangely decorated goblets sitting upon the table as Leaks' tail swept behind him from side to side in a staccato motion, unable to remain still as his own thoughts began to lend a greater motion to the cranks and cogs of his ever-churning mind. 

"How are your studies coming along?" As if to punctuate the complete shift in conversation, Shui rose from the table and began to clear away his utensils. Leaks gathered his own as well, a paucity of errant thoughts straying back towards the present.

"Sufficiently so. I have at last acquired a volume that promises to provide the leads I have been searching for."

Shui made sure to turn his face towards the objects he was carrying, not trusting himself to hide the satisfied smile that threatened to bloom, "Is that so?" His eyes darted momentarily towards the small stack of books that stood against the ornate sofa towards the other end of Leaks' home. Sure enough, a particular volume claimed the highest spot, waiting expectantly for its reader to continue their journey together, "May I remain here for some time longer?"

"...do as you please." Leaks by now was striding towards his reading perch, sitting down with what was an admittedly unnecessary flourish before crossing his legs and retrieving his newest book. After depositing his utensils by a small wash basin, Shui leaned down to retrieve his lute from his sack and joined his friend with a soft sigh escaping him as he sat down. Leaks gave neither any indication of having been disturbed by the sound nor even having noticed it, so the poet allowed himself to fall into the kind of peaceful embrace that only playing his music could bring as he plucked idly at a few strings, thoughts and gaze both venturing further off than the contained walls surrounding the two cats.

As the hours rolled past, with only the occasional page turn punctuating the intermittently exploratory notes emanating from Shui's lute, Leaks found that his thoughts were coming to a steadier pace the more that he allowed himself to settle back into the warmth that the music was draping across his shoulders. They had been steadily lowering, sliding into a more natural and relaxed hold than usual, a testament to the amount of tension he carried within his body at any given moment.

A soft slump brought Leaks' floating thoughts to a near crash, however, as he then felt Shui's head settling upon a now-looser shoulder. His mind was grinding, pushing between his immediate instinct to fling the cat from his breached bubble of space, and a smaller, but stronger voice to let them both be.

Shui and himself.

For what felt like much longer than it most likely was, Leaks held in a breath that he only vaguely realised was waiting for release once his lungs knocked against his chest for air. Breathing out in what he hoped was a subtle manner, Leaks turned the page of his book perhaps more insistently than he should have, garnering what he absolutely swore was a subdued laugh from his friend. That little--

"I have never heard you read, you know."

Leaks' ears perked up somewhat, not quite willing to admit even to himself the reason for such a reaction, "You do not need to, reading is meant to be silent."

"Not always." Shui shifted closer towards him and slowly slid his arm in between Leaks' own arm and body. When the magician made no move to push the other away, Shui steadily moved his hand further up Leaks' arm and brought it closer to his chest, breathing out in a small exhausted shudder. While the other man decidedly missed the comforting sound of Shui's music, he could not bring himself to regret this change. In fact, it made him think...

"I would like to know what your book is about." Shui volunteered quietly, as though afraid that this moment would break apart if he spoke too forcefully. Leaks nodded idly, only slightly aware that Shui could not see him do so from where his head was resting against him, and briefly considered the text in front of him.

"It is on lyrical magic, using the power of the voice to accomplish any matter of feats. It is...quite similar to what you do, in fact."

Shui hummed in reply, forever resolving to keep to himself the day he found that same volume tucked away in the Head Sanga's library, wrapped in such a thick layer of dust that he knew it would be years, if ever, before it would be missed. Every part of this book: the embossed cover, the way its pages whispered as it fell open, and even the purposeful will behind the writing contained wherein, told Shui that its true owner was waiting, searching, for this coveted knowledge. The fact that both men knew quite well that this book's sudden residence low within the stack that Leaks was actively reading from was due to Shui slipping it in during his last visit, was one that did not need to be voiced. 

"I would like it very much, if you would read aloud for me."

Leaks remained silent for some time, still situated within a chattering group of his thoughts from before. They were no quieter than before, and likely would not fall so that night, or the next, or even many nights thereafter; but, for the time being, he wanted to focus on what lay beyond him instead.

"...when attempting to fuse a luminescence spell with a particular vocalisation, it is essential that one takes into account the law of..."

As Leaks continued to read from the passage where he had left off, he found that he was only half focused upon the book, a good portion of his concentration dedicated to the feeling of the cat beside him holding onto his arm and leaning against his shoulder. 

What had even possessed him to do so in the first place? Not that the magician minded this, truly, but it still baffled him. Was there something Shui wanted to communicate to him that he was somehow not understanding? Were all the Ribika out in the cities now so open with their affections? Was Shui a far more cosmopolitan man than he had given him credit for? If Leaks were to in fact venture beyond his woods, would he find a world greatly changed from the way in which he remembered it? What if--

Leaks halted in his reading as he simultaneously made note of two concurrent stimuli. The first was how Shui's tail had lazily wound around his at some point within the past many minutes, the feeling of soft fur nestled against him bringing a small hitch to his heartbeat. The second was that his companion's breathing had steadily slowed until he had fallen fast asleep, a low telltale rumble from Shui's chest dancing against his arm.

Shui...he purred in his sleep!?

Leaks could not imagine that it was a consistent occurrence, or that any cat for that matter would do so. But when it came to Shui, norms seemed to have no place with that Sanga. The man continually managed to make himself a regular fixture within his life; a feat that Leaks both knew no other Ribika could achieve, and also threatened to drive him completely berserk. How in the blazes such a directionally challenged cat could consistently find each subsequent hiding place of the hermit magician was a mystery that no system of logic could solve, Leaks had accepted this conclusion long ago. It was something that aggravated him to no end. It was something he would not trade for any form of magic, no matter how coveted.

Leaks shut the book he had been holding in his hand, laying it upon his lap as he gently leaned his own head to the side, making sure that he did not wake Shui in the process of resting his head atop the other man's. As his own eyelids began to grow heavier, Leaks allowed himself to drop the rest of the tension within his body, a deep sound filling the air as his purrs danced with Shui's.

Thank goodness the poet was already asleep. There would have been hell to pay even for him were anyone to know of this.

**Author's Note:**

> DING DANG DARN DOODLY why is Leaks so hard to write?? His speech has got an undeniable old fashioned feel to it which makes sense for our lil forest hermit, but he's also dramatic AF and it's difficult to make that coincide in his dialogue? I love him.  
> There is in fact a second part to this coming, but it most likely won't be up for at least another month since I am in con crunch mode for Katsu, please look forward to it? Also please do hmu if you enjoyed this, I need hope that this fandom is still alive! ;A;


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